#07 Jean Xhonneux
I'm Jean, tuba player with Brussels Philharmonic since 2014. I also play with Brassband Willebroek. It's a combination I love: a world-class symphony orchestra and an internationally renowned brass band. Two very different worlds, with the same core: making music together.
Outside music, I enjoy a bit of everything. I love running and going to the gym, but I'm just as happy spending an evening at the theatre, visiting an exhibition or going to a concert. I also enjoy cooking, experimenting with new dishes and cocktails, and I read a lot. That mix of sport, culture and gastronomy keeps me curious.
Summer Sounds on SpotifyTuba!
The tuba is my instrument. At the moment, I'm also learning the serpent, a historical wind instrument often considered the ancestor of the tuba. It's fascinating how an instrument like that can open up a completely different musical language!
If I were to learn another instrument, it would definitely be the double bass. I love its sound, but even more the wonderful repertoire by composers like Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann – music I usually admire from a distance as a tuba player.
Summer soundtrack
My summer is all about listening, then listening again. Some of it is made up of the big works that will soon be on my music stand, like Mahler's Symphony No. 9 and Verdi's Requiem. Not to analyse them, but simply to get lost in them. It's fascinating: every recording has something new to offer. Wagner and Strauss are definitely part of the soundtrack too, especially on long summer drives: hours of uninterrupted listening.
I also like exploring music I wouldn't normally come across. This summer, that means George Lewis' Weathering and Miloslav Kabeláč's The Mystery of Time. I'll dive into it with an open mind and no expectations.
Outside the classical world, I always come back to my French playlist: Le sud by Nino Ferrer, Les amoureux des bancs publics by Georges Brassens and Douce France by Charles Trenet. Those songs instantly take me back to the wedding of my best friend and former orchestra colleague. He now lives in Paris, so we don't see each other as often, but those songs keep the memories alive. Pure nostalgia, with plenty of warmth.
PLAYLIST
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 9
Giuseppe Verdi Requiem
Miloslav Kabeláč Mystery of Time
Nino Ferrer Le sud
Georges Brassens Les amoureux des bancs publics
Charles Trenet Douce France
Guilty pleasures?
French-language pop and hip hop, without a doubt! Orelsan's La quête is a firm favourite, while Phanee de Pool's Le chien de Pool has a wonderfully quirky charm.
I also enjoy a bit of local humour, from Les Gauff' au Suc' to Angèle's Bruxelles je t'aime and La thune. Impossible not to sing along!
And then there are a few more guilty pleasures I can't hide: LaBrassBanda with tracks like Bierzelt and Autobahn, Atomic Ping Pong's Chameau, and Tryo's Con par raison. They may not always be serious, but they never fail to hit the spot.
Summer mode: on
This summer will be a great mix of performing and unwinding. First up is the World Music Contest in Kerkrade with Brassband Willebroek, followed by Tomorrowland with Symphony of Unity. Two completely different worlds, both very special.
After that, it's off to the south of France: Grasse, Nice and Monaco. Sunshine, great food and time to recharge. The perfect reset.
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